1 . Do you know that the falcon (猎鹰) is among the fastest animals in the world? It can fly at a speed of about 200 miles per hour. You might think a bird that could fly so fast would be safe from most type s of danger. But that is not true. By the 1970s, they had already been endangered. Luckily, people begin to protect them. The number of falcons is rising now.
One unusual thing about falcons is that they like to make their nests (巢) in high places. In nature, they often nest on mountain tops and on the sides of cliffs (悬崖). Falcons have also got used to life in cities. They nest on tall buildings and bridges in cities. The height of these nests is from 50 to 200 feet in the air.
They also like to return to the same nesting place every year. Both the mother and father falcons help to raise the babies. The mother stays more time in the nest. The father hunts and brings back food for her and the babies.
Many people all around the country work very hard to help falcons live to adulthood. There are even video cameras fixed up in many places. This way, people can make sure the birds and their eggs stay protected. Falcons are lucky to have so many people who keep an eye on them.
1. What can we know about falcons?| A．Falcons can fly about 200 metres in 60 minutes. |
| B．The number of falcons hasn’t risen now. |
| C．Falcons only live on the sides of cliffs. |
| D．Falcons have been used to living in cities. |
| A．The mother. | B．The father. |
| C．The babies. | D．Both the father and the mother. |
| A．disappointing | B．hopeful |
| C．worrying | D．dangerous |
| A．A sports book. | B．A business book. |
| C．A nature book. | D．A life book. |
2 . What will travel be like in 2070? Maybe travel will become smarter and easier by that time. Here are some amazing predictions about traveling that might happen in 2070.
You will use “heart be at passport” at the airport. And passport checks will not be used anymore. Because everyone’s heartbeat is different and it can tell you who you are and where you will go. Also, it provides more personal information.
3D print technology will develop surprisingly fast. It can print almost everything like clothes and food. Therefore, when you get to the hotel, suitcase will not be needed any more.
The trip will become interesting and colorful. Many kinds of services will be provided during the trip. If you want to see what happened in the Ming Dynasty or the first Olympic Games, you can just wear a special headset or glasses.
1. According to the passage, travel will be ________ in 2070.| A．smarter and easier |
| B．more expensive |
| C．more difficult |
| D．much cheaper |
| A．heartbeat passport |
| B．personal information |
| C．personal body shape |
| D．3 D print technology |
| A．help us to check passports |
| B．provide many kinds of movies |
| C．print almost everything like clothes and food |
| D．take us to see the first Olympic Games |
| A．Heartbeat Passport |
| B．A Future dream |
| C．3D Print Technology |
| D．Travel in 2070 |
3 . Recently, a research on how a new virtual reality (VR虚拟现实) experience educated children about the fire disasters was done. The new VR experience was developed by the University of South Australia, hoping to educate children to learn how to be safe in a fire. It presents a situation for children aged 10-12. In the situation, they are tasked to look after a friend’s dog just before a fire event begins. They take part in a set of problem-solving activities to help save and protect themselves and the dog.
The findings showed that over 80% of children could calmly tell the advantages and disadvantages of different choices. They also learned to make wise decisions to protect themselves from a fire. Children thought it especially important and meaningful, because 91% of them didn’t have knowledge of fires at the beginning, and 67% had said that they were too young to make safety decisions in a fire.
The researchers believed such VR experiences made it possible to engage (使参与), educate and empower the young. “As children born in modern times, they are interested in such technology and they can experience events in a real situation yet within the safe environment,” said Delene Weber, one of the researchers. “Well-designed VR can provide children with surprisingly valuable learning tools.” Meanwhile, because children have fewer life experiences, aren’t as physically strong, and are less likely to have learned much about fire safety, they’re often most at risk. However, the role that children play in the fire safety at their homes should not be underestimated (低估). “Children don’t need to be always waiting for help in disasters. With these VR experiences, we can make children understand the risks and realize they can help,” said Weber.
1. What’s the purpose of the new VR experience?| A．To describe children’s reactions to fire disasters. |
| B．To teach children to save themselves in a fire. |
| C．To introduce ways of avoiding a fire to children. |
| D．To increase children’s interest in VR experiences. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Worried. | C．Uncertain. | D．Supportive. |
| A．development | B．advantages | C．quality | D．introduction |
| A．Well-designed VR can offer children amazingly valuable learning tools. |
| B．VR experiences are mainly designed for children in high school. |
| C．Children make no difference in the fire safety at their homes. |
| D．91% of children believed they weren’t old enough to make safety decisions. |
It might be fun to use your smartphone. But be careful that too much screen time may be harmful to your health.
First, it is bad for your eyes. A researcher called Sarah Hinkley says the problem comes from the blue light that the screen gives out. Looking at a smartphone for a long time can cause eye strain, headaches and dry eyes. So it is a good idea to take a break every 15 minutes when you are working at a computer or using a smartphone.
Second, screen use can do harm to children’s brains. A new study shows that using screens too much can influence how children’s brains grow. If children use screens for more than one hour a day, they might have lower levels of white matter in their brains, which is a key to the development of language and reading skills. So it is wise to cut down the time of children using all kinds of screens.
Third, using screens too much will influence your sleep. According to a study, about 95% of the people between the ages of 13 and 64 use electronics before bed, especially the young people under 20. Doctors say that the light from those electronics at night may make you excited before you go to bed. Then it’s hard for you to get enough sleep. So you’d better turn off smartphones, TVs and all other screens an hour before your bedtime.
To keep healthy, doctors and researchers strongly advise that you shouldn’t use screens for long hours.
1. What can the blue light from your screen cause?2. How often should you take a break when working at a computer or using a smartphone?
3. How can parents prevent levels of white matter getting lower in their children’s brains?
4. Do you think smartphones are important? Why do you think so? Write 30 words or more.
5 . I am sure you know the story of the turtle (乌龟) and the rabbit. It taught people many lessons. One of these lessons is that people who have all the advantages (the fast-jumping rabbit) can be beaten by those who have nothing but inner (内心的) strength (the slow turtle).
It is true that the race of life, just like the one between the rabbit and the turtle, is often unfair. Some kids have all the luck. They were born healthy and their parents are rich. These kids wear nice clothes and always have much money to spend on anything they like. Many other kids, however, have none of these things. Some of them were even born with disabilities. They have to depend on their inner strength alone.
While many people believe the “rabbits” are always successful, this is not true. In fact, the “turtles”—kids from poor families—have some of the most. important things for success. They are humble (谦逊的) and determined (有决心的). They march forward slowly but with great inner strength.
A student from Tsinghua University shared his personal experience online. Instead of having fun with his classmates outside, he chose to get a part-time job and study hard. He knew there would be plenty of time for fun once he had overcome all of the difficulties. His story may have encouraged “turtles”. The race of life is long. Even if you get off to a slow start, you can easily catch up if you make up your mind to do so.
1. What can we learn from the story of the turtle and the rabbit?| A．One who has advantages can succeed. |
| B．One who fears nothing can succeed easily. |
| C．One who has inner strength can get success finally. |
| D．One who works without rest can get success more easily. |
| A．Because everyone wants to win the race. | B．Because people are treated differently in life. |
| C．Because all the people have different dreams. | D．Because not everyone’s starting point is the same. |
| A．To introduce his hard experience to us. |
| B．To encourage us to enter good universities. |
| C．To show us the importance of studying in the university. |
| D．To support the idea that poor students have special things for success. |
| A．To advise us to try new things. | B．To tell us how to succeed quickly. |
| C．To show us the power of inner strength. | D． To encourage us to take races. |
6 . “On a spring night, we offer book lovers a desk and a light. You can stay here as long as you want to.” This is the slogan (宣传语) of Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Beijing.
Earlier this month, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore became the first 24-hour bookstore in the city. It hopes to encourage more people to read books. Bookstores are the brain of a city. Although many people can now buy books online, many readers still like the feeling in bookstores. They can touch the books and smell the print.
In China, most cities are home to at least one bookstore. Some have special themes (主题). Popular Holdings (大众书局) in Shanghai is a film-themed bookstore. There are film books and posters (海报) inside. Other bookstores have colourful activities. Eslite Bookstore (诚品书店) in Taiwan has activities like talks with famous writers as well as holding gallery shows (画展). People come here not only for reading but also to communicate with others.
1. Which of the following can best describe people’s feeling in bookstores?| A．Becoming the brain of the city. | B．Staying inside as long as possible. |
| C．Buying books online with enjoyment. | D．Touching the books and smelling the print. |
| A．a small gallery | B．a special theme | C．a special slogan | D．colourful activities |
| A．Reading and communicating. | B．Buying film books and posters. |
| C．Encouraging themselves to read. | D．Getting ready to be famous writers. |
| A．Buying books in bookstores | B．Great bookstores online |
| C．A new bookstore in China | D．Warm places for reading |
7 . ChatGPT is back! OpenAI, the company behind the popular chatbot, has now introduced a powerful new language model: GPT-4.
On March 14, GPT-4 showed the world how smarter it is than the GPT-3.5. One of its best new features is that it can understand pictures. For example, if you show a picture of a phone using the wrong charger (充电器), GPT-4 can tell why the picture looks strange.
But GPT-4’s developments don’t stop there. The new language model can code (用代码编写) classic games in a few minutes, and produce the code and layout (布局) for a website based on a hand-made drawing. GPT-4 is much better than the older GPT at passing tests. According to CNN, GPT-4 did really well on a law school test, with a score in the top 10 percent of test takers. ButGPT-3.5 only got a score in the bottom 10 percent.
GPT-4 will also power other apps and services. For example, the language learning app Duolingo plans to use GPT-4 in their coming products. Users can learn languages by talking with AI. Another app, Be My Eyes, will have a digital assistant (数字助手) to help blind people better understand the world around them. The government of Iceland also plans to use GPT-4 to protect the Icelandic language.
There are still problems with the new language model, however. GPT-4 still tries hard to get completely correct answers. And it will sometimes insist that wrong information is true.
1. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?| A．OpenAI. | B．GPT-3.5. | C．GPT-4. | D．A chatbot. |
| A．Because GPT-4 is much new er than GPT-3.5. |
| B．Because GPT-4 can spend less time coding games. |
| C．Because GPT-4 got better scores than GPT-3.5 at tests. |
| D．Because GPT-4 powers other apps and services. |
| A．let users learn language by talking with AI |
| B．help blind people understand the world better |
| C．give support to the Icelandic language |
| D．earn much money by selling services |
(①=Paragraph 1, ②=Paragraph 2, … )
A． | B． | C． | D． |
The Spring Festival always begins on doors and walls. Spring couplets (春联) stand for people’s wishes for a happier life in the coming year.
The couplets are written on red paper. They are the most important symbol of the Spring Festival. Although people are busy with all kinds of things before the Spring Festival, sticking couplets is always in the first place on the to-do list. And my mother would ask me to take some gifts to people who wrote couplets for us. When they were writing, I would watch how they used the brush to create these wonderful works.
Later when I was a little older, my parents encouraged me to learn how to write couplets. I asked some elder people to teach me some skills. When learning from them, I became greatly interested in traditional culture. Every time when our family visited relatives during the Spring Festival, I always collected the poems of the couplets and used them to express my good wishes like “health, wealth and long-life” to my relatives.
Nowadays as the science and technology is developing rapidly, couplets are mainly produced by machines. We can easily buy all kinds of beautiful couplets on the streets. Though forms of making couplets have changed, the best wishes that couplets express remain. The red paper and black words are not only used to write the couplets, but also carry our love for traditional culture. They will never be forgotten.
1. What do spring couplets stand for in the Spring Festival?2. How did the writer express good wishes to his or her relatives?
3. Why can we easily buy all kinds of beautiful couplets on the street?
4. Do you think we should stick couplets or not? Why? (Write 30 words or more)
9 . Electric vehicles (电动汽车) or EVs recently have become more and more popular. Technological improvements, especially batteries, make EVs rather than gas cars become more people’s first choice.
Mueller, an expert in studying cars, explains why they are the future of cars. He writes, “I think EVs are the future. They have better torque (扭转力), acceleration (加速) and better control.”
Best of all, you never have to visit a gas station. Every morning your car is charged (充电) and ready to go. And if you are worried about miles they can cover, that’s not necessary. Almost all trips can be done in an EV with a proper battery. And fast chargers (充电器) along the way make it possible to do longer road trips if necessary.
Besides, it’s clean technology: a traditional gas car causes more than twice as carbon (碳) pollution as an EV. Even in places that get almost all of their electricity from burning coal (煤), an EV still pollutes less than a typical traditional gas car. Supposing a 10-year service life, a traditional car will let out 66,000 pounds more carbon pollution than an electric vehicle.
Human science technology is always moving forward. However, some challenges still remain about EVs. According to the present situation of EVs, scientists and researchers still have a long way to go.
1. EVs have become more popular than gas cars thanks to ________.| A．technological improvements | B．social development |
| C．lower prices | D．beautiful appearance |
| A．better torque | B．acceleration | C．better control | D．fast chargers |
| A．EVs are always cleaner than gas cars. |
| B．Electricity is from burning coal in China. |
| C．A gas car causes less pollution than an EV. |
| D．A traditional car lets out 6,600 pounds of carbon a year. |
| A．The Future of EVs in China | B．EVs and Environmental Protection |
| C．EVs Makes Our Life Better | D．EVs: The Future of Cars |
10 . The Chinese ping feng (folding screen) is an ancient invention and traditional Chinese furniture (家具) . Its earliest common use dates from (追溯) the Han Dynasty. The term ping feng means protection from wind. showing its purpose at the very beginning.
As time passes, it has been made into different sizes with colorful paintings. On screens usually appears a dragon. It’s a symbol of light, growth and life-giving water. It also stands for nobility (尊贵) and power. The peacock, a beautiful bird, can be seen on screens, too. It’s a symbol of everlasting (永恒的) life. Beautiful flowers, which mean wealth and good luck, are also chosen as a popular design of the ping feng. All the designs carry people’s beautiful wishes.
Behind the ping feng lies an interesting story. In the past the unmarried daughter of a rich family was not supposed to see or be seen by men except her father, brothers or very close male cousins. When an admirer (追求者) paid a visit, however, she might take a secret look at him from a screen behind which she would be completely hidden. Her father would discuss poems with the young man and ask him to create one. If the daughter and her father were satisfied with the young man’s poem and his look, she might agree to take him as a husband.
Today the ping feng is back in fashion for its beauty and its practical (实际的) use as furniture. Acting as a moving wall or divider, it can be the perfect match for modern sofas and walls, which adds style to them. The ping feng is more than beautiful furniture.
1. What was the ping feng used for at the very beginning?| A．Protecting people from wind. | B．Dividing a room. | C．Making a room beautiful. | D．Hiding a person. |
| A．The dragon. | B．The peacock. | C．The water. | D．The flowers. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By giving examples. | C．By comparing differences. | D．By explaining the result. |
| A．The ping feng has been popular all the time. |
| B．The paintings on the screens have the same size. |
| C．An unmarried daughter was too shy to see an admirer. |
| D．You can move the ping feng to match your other furniture. |
